Once you decide to build lean muscle, you want to start to see results immediately!  Many of us may have even started looking for results the day after a tough workout. When you hope for immediate results that don’t come, it’s easy to lose patience and fall off your exercise routine. Increased strength and lean muscle mass will come with patience, diligence, and consistency.  But how long do you really have to wait for results?

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To build muscle, you must incorporate strength training into your workout.  Through that strength training, you inflict trauma on the muscles you work.  That trauma creates micro-tears in the muscle, causing your muscles repair and grow stronger.  In order to stress your muscles enough that rebuilding can begin, you need to incorporate strength training for twenty to thirty minutes two to three times each week.  It’s best to strength train on nonconsecutive days so your body has time to allow for the repairing process.  Once your strength training routine is in place, being mindful of what you eat will impact when you begin to see results.  Foods high in protein like lean meat, fish, and dairy products will help your muscles repair and grow stronger more quickly.

How long it takes to build muscle depends on a variety of factors including your gender, age, and the amount of muscle you already have.  Men, for example, tend to build muscle more quickly than women due to testosterone.  Those that already have significant muscle might see changes more quickly than someone just beginning.  Overall, experts indicate that it takes six to eight weeks of consistent strength training and a healthy diet to build lean muscle mass and see real progress.

Six to eight weeks may seem like a long time to wait for results, but while you’re waiting for more defined muscles, you may begin to experience different benefits.  You may find that your day to day activities outside of FitClub feel easier, that you have more energy, and the quality of your sleep improves.  The additional lean muscle will also allow your body to burn more calories while you’re at rest, so your clothes may begin to fit looser, and you may see a decrease on the scale.  Seeing results is the eventual payoff for building a more consistently healthy lifestyle.

If you’re new to strength training and hope to build lean muscle, it’s a good idea to start with a visit to FitClub’s InBody body composition analyzer.  The InBody system can tell you how much muscle mass you already have, as well as other key factors about your physiological makeup. After six weeks of consistent work, try it again and see if your numbers have improved.  You should also consider talking to a personal trainer at FitClub that can get you started with a sustainable strength training routine and ensure that you’re using proper form to avoid injury and maximize results.

Already experienced in strength training?  What advice would you give to someone just starting out?